Marty

I respectfully disagree. Nothing wrong with your approach, but like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder. I have confidence in that old saying, "there are three colors, something dark, something light and something in-between." But in the end we all have to do what we need to in order to instill confidence. I make no claim to having any particular fishing ability and the more lures and colors I have, the more decisions I have to make which I'm not qualified to make. That's why I carry a lot less than some other anglers do.

Google the phrase below: st louis bass clubs

See here for IGFA certification. http://www.igfa.org/Fish/SCALES-AND-CERTIFICATION-.aspx Nick, I'm glad your scale is accurate, but my personal view is that the only way to check a scale is to weigh stuff that's already been weighed on a certified scale, such as those at supermarkets.

I agree that confidence is the big factor. Bass are unpredictable and no one can know in advance what they'll hit on any given day, so you might as well start off with your confidence bait.

I haven't used any Shimanos in years precisely because of line management. I had major twist problems with Shimano, just minor with Daiwa. Never used any Shimanos with braid.

I've never owned either, but have fished from a friend's john boat numerous times. There are always tradeoffs in something like this. I suppose you have to consider the waters you fish, how often you want company, overall roominess, how much stuff you like to take along, the ease of handling the boat and personal preferences. Unless you can find a way to buy both, you're just going to have to determine your priorities and buy accordingly.

Same here. There are plenty of A's that are shown. http://www.lurenet.com/brands/bomber?p=1

If I were targeting them I'd use grubs on jigheads or crankbaits. However, based on the perch I've caught while fishing for bass, they will take most types of artificials.

The one I've used most over many years of fishing is the Mepps Aglia with a silver blade. Inline spinners will catch any species of fish that's willing to hit an artificial lure.

I've never fished any striper waters. I've caught perch on a variety of lures and catfish on jigs and grubs, Chatterbaits and crankbaits, both while fishing for other species.. When I used to fish the Erie Canal frequently, many of the guys who were targeting catfish used chicken livers.

I check hooks fairly often, but can't quantify that. I don't replace unless the dulled hook can't be sharpened to pass the thumbnail test.

I use mostly medium power and fast action as all-purpose rods, including for crankbaits and have had no problems. I'm sure the conventional wisdom says to use a little slower action for crankbaits and maybe that's what you should look for if you feel that action is needed for you to have confidence in. Otherwise, I don't think fast action will cost you very many fish.

I agree with RW that profile and action exceed color pattern, probably by a wide margin. I do think the tackle industry gets a bad rap with the old saying that "lures are made to catch fishermen, not fish." If they don't catch fish they get no repeat business. But every product has to "catch" potential buyers. Cars have to catch drivers, razors have to catch shavers, stoves have to catch cooks, and so it goes.

To the best of my knowledge, the Tracker line has been the top seller for a long time. I presume price or perceived "bang for the buck" is a big part of it. Maybe the fact that everyone gets BPS catalogs is part of it as well.

6930 or 6935. I have a 35 which I use with 15# braid and am very pleased with it.

Looking at picture #2, I see there are holes in the algae. Can you drop soft plastics into those holes? How about weedless topwaters, such as hollow-bodies frogs, or non-hollow like Horny Toads or Super Flukes. I've dealt with a lot of slimy filamentous algae and fortunately I've had edges and holes that I could fish.

Also, go fishing at that spot when the wind's at your back.

I bought a 6935 last year and have been pleased with it. But I'm used to Daiwa 2500 sizes and I think the 6935 is similar. Consider the line type and size you'll be using and what SirSnookalot said about larger reels handling line better. But in the end you have to get you feel comfortable with, taking several factors into consideration. There is no "proper" size; different strokes for different folks.

Like smalljaw said above, it was probably due to lack of sales. BPS didn't get where it is today by taking up space in warehouses or on store shelves with products that don't yield the necessary return. Same thing happens at the supermarket; they've discontinued many products which we've liked very much. Obviously, everyone has their own thoughts and confidence factors. In my case, discontinuance of lures and/or colors don't bother me because I always think other lures/other colors will get the job done just as well. The only disaster for me would be discontinuance of the Jitterbug, because it's my favorite lure and I know of nothing equivalent.

Good luck Bill, hope you can get things resolved.

I'm a Mickelson fan.

I've been fishing Canandaigua for almost 35 years and am very well acquainted with the wind tunnel effect. Fishing the south end of north-south lakes has its frustrations, to say the least.

Same here.

I've fished from my canoe in Canandaigua's extreme south end many times. It's fine as long as there's not a strong north wind.

I think your present combo would be fine for crappie and other panfish. Catching fish on 4# line is lots of fun.